Page 47 of When You Left Me Speechless

He jumps and spins around to face me. Our bodies are a few inches apart. His cologne engulfs me, and I have to put my hand on a desk to steady myself.

“Did I scare you?” I ask, letting out a little giggle. Being this close to this man should be illegal.It is illegal. Shit.

“Maybe a little.” A wide smile breaks across his face. He moves his hand and brushes a piece of hair behind my ear, and a shiver runs down my spine.

“About last night—” I hear him say. Students start pouring into the room, and I take a few steps back.

Was he going to tell me it was all a mistake and this can’t happen?

As much as I know that is true, I mean, I told him that last night, I can’t help but feel disappointed. Throughout the class, I feel his gaze like I have before, but when I look up at him, he doesn’t look away. We steal glances for the rest of the period.

On the way out of his classroom, a bucket full of brightly colored candy catches my eye on the shelf behind Logan’s desk.

“What’s that?” I ask, pointing towards the container.

He looks up from his computer. “Sour candy. Want some?” He winks at me, reaches his hand into the bucket, and grabs a small package of sour worms and a package of Sour Patch Kids from it. He throws them toward me and smiles as I catch them.

Poppy: Thanks for the candy!

Logan: Who said I bought it for you? >

After lunch,Beth’s phone rings. As she talks, she looks right at me, agreeing with whatever the person on the other end of the phone says. “That was Principal Keller. She has asked to see you in her office and has asked me to join,” she says, hanging up the phone.

My mouth falls open. My skin is immediately clammy. “Okay, do you know what for?” I ask.

As a kid I was never called to the principal’s office, why am I being called now? Anxiety pulses through my body as it hits me why the principal must want to see me.

Ruth.

I should have never called him last night. I should have never gotten in his car and gone to that diner. And I most definitely should have never let him drive me to the school this morning.

Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

“Nope, I’m sure it’s nothing serious,” Beth says, standing and walking towards the door. Pausing long enough to wait for me to get up and follow her.

As we pass Logan’s room, I can’t bring myself to look inside. All I need is to see he’s not in there and to confirm we have been found out after one kiss.

Beth and I walk in silence all the way to the front office. We arrive at the door, Beth knocks, and we both walk in.

“Hello, ladies, please take a seat.” Principal Keller is a friendly woman, but she is intimidating as hell. She is the type of principal who expects a lot from her staff and students but isn’t afraid to stop to make a kid laugh or have a little fun. We sit down. My stomach twists, and my chest tightens. I try to remind myself I have done nothing wrong. He was helping me out, and there is no way anyone here could know he kissed me last night.

“I’m sure you have some idea why I called you down here today.” I nod nervously, not wanting to out us. I glance over to Beth, who is smiling.

Oh my god, did the principal really not tell her why we are here? Is she going to be blindsided? Breathe, Poppy.

Principal Keller continues, “Well, this morning…”

I can hear my blood rushing in my ears.Morning? Did she say this morning? She knows I rode with him this morning.It’s soloud I’m missing everything else she is saying. The room feels like it’s spinning. I remind myself he was just jumping my car, we are just friends, and Ruth has no idea what she saw.

I take a few calming breaths. My heart rate begins to slow, and I try to focus on her words so I can formulate a response.

“And so we would like to offer that job to you,” she says. Both she and Beth are looking at me, smiling.

“I’m sorry, what did you say?” My panic begins to fade as I try to process what I think I just heard.

“We would like to offer you a job here at Pecan Grove after graduation.”

I stare at her, confused and silent. It dawns on me I never told Beth the outcome of my interview with Dogwood Manor.

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